The Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room has described the Ekiti State governorship election as largely peaceful and orderly, despite a few operational challenges recorded in some rural communities.
Speaking during an assessment of the poll, the Head of Programmes and Policy at ActionAid Nigeria and co-convener of the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room, Celestine Okwudili Odo, said the organisation, in collaboration with its partners, deployed observers across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state to monitor the electoral process.
According to Odo, election materials arrived on time in most polling units, facilitating the smooth commencement of voting. He noted that although a few rural communities experienced minor logistical challenges, these did not significantly affect the overall conduct of the election.
He said accreditation and voting commenced early in most locations, with many polling units beginning operations before 9:00 a.m. Odo added that some electoral officials arrived ahead of schedule and waited for voting to begin in line with electoral guidelines.
However, he identified accessibility challenges in some communities, particularly for elderly voters and persons with disabilities, who had to travel considerable distances to reach their polling units.
Odo also commended the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), noting that the technology functioned effectively in most polling centres, with voter accreditation taking an average of one to two minutes.
He explained that the major challenge involved the biometric verification of some elderly voters, whose fingerprints and facial features were difficult for the devices to capture. In several instances, electoral officials had to make repeated attempts before successful accreditation was achieved.
On security arrangements, Odo said security personnel were visible across most polling centres, with between three and ten officers deployed to various locations to maintain law and order.
He further observed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) were the most visible political parties at polling units across the state, dominating party representation during the election.
Overall, Odo expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the poll, describing it as generally peaceful, while urging stakeholders to continue strengthening electoral processes to improve inclusiveness and accessibility for all voters.
Meanwhile, the CLEEN Foundation has also described the ongoing Ekiti State Governorship Election as largely peaceful, orderly and secure.
In a statement released on Saturday by its Executive Director, Peter Maduoma, the organisation said preliminary findings from its election security observation mission indicated effective security coordination and a generally calm voting environment across the state.
The assessment was based on reports from 60 INEC-accredited observers deployed across the 16 Local Government Areas of Ekiti State to monitor the conduct of security personnel during the election.
According to the statement, security agencies maintained a strong presence in most polling units, with about 90 per cent of officers arriving early and working closely with electoral officials to ensure the timely commencement of accreditation and voting.
Maduoma noted that the election was largely peaceful, with security personnel demonstrating professionalism and contributing significantly to voter confidence and public safety.
Field reports showed that more than 82 per cent of the polling units observed had at least three security officers on duty, providing adequate coverage for crowd management, voter assistance and incident response.
The report further revealed that all respondents interviewed by observers said they felt safe or very safe at polling centres, underscoring the effectiveness of the security arrangements put in place for the election.
“Field reports indicate a significant and highly visible security presence across most parts of the state, with security personnel arriving early, wearing identifiable name tags and largely remaining unarmed,” Maduoma stated.
The organisation also reported that 95.1 per cent of security personnel received ratings of either “good” or “very good” for their overall conduct, while a similar percentage were considered approachable by voters and election stakeholders.
Observers noted that officers were generally responsive to voters’ concerns, helping to maintain order and facilitate the smooth conduct of the electoral process.
Despite the positive assessment, the CLEEN Foundation expressed concern over public perceptions regarding the neutrality of some security personnel.
According to the report, 46.3 per cent of respondents perceived security officials as not being completely impartial, a development the organisation warned could undermine public confidence in the electoral process if left unaddressed.
The statement also highlighted isolated operational challenges, including a polling unit in Ijero Local Government Area where observers reported the absence of security personnel.
At a polling unit in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, security personnel reportedly intervened after a voter allegedly displayed his ballot to another individual in what observers described as a suspected vote-buying arrangement.
The report also identified technical challenges involving the BVAS in several polling units, resulting in delays in voter accreditation. However, security personnel were commended for helping to maintain calm while electoral officials addressed the issues.
Maduoma said the coordinated deployment of security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) contributed significantly to the safe movement of electoral materials and personnel across the state.
He also commended security agencies for ensuring the timely arrival of election materials in most polling units, describing it as evidence of effective planning and collaboration among relevant stakeholders.
To improve future election security management, the CLEEN Foundation recommended mandatory impartiality training for security personnel, stricter enforcement of election duty codes of conduct, rotational deployment of officers, elimination of deployment gaps and enhanced technical support for BVAS operations.
The organisation also called for stronger coordination among security agencies and improved accountability mechanisms to address allegations of misconduct during elections.
While commending security agencies for their role in maintaining peace during the election, Maduoma stressed the need to address concerns relating to perceived bias and isolated operational lapses.
“The high level of voter confidence and the generally peaceful conduct of the election demonstrate the effectiveness of the security deployment. However, issues relating to perceived impartiality and isolated deployment gaps require urgent attention to enhance the credibility of future elections,” he said.
He reaffirmed the CLEEN Foundation’s commitment to promoting public safety, accountability and democratic governance through improved election security management across Nigeria.
